Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the Rolling Stones started out playing covers and were at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964, becoming identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. They then found greater success with their own material, as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965), "Get Off of My Cloud" (1965), and "Paint It Black" (1966) became international number-one hits. Aftermath (1966) – their first entirely original album – is considered by The Daily Telegraph to be the most important of their formative records. In 1967, they had the double-sided hit "Ruby Tuesday"/"Let's Spend the Night Together" and experimented with psychedelic rock on Their Satanic Majesties Request. They returned to their rhythm and blues roots with hit songs such as "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968) and "Honky Tonk Women" (1969), and albums such as Beggars Banquet (1968), featuring "Sympathy for the Devil", and Let It Bleed (1969), featuring "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter". Let It Bleed was the first of five consecutive number-one albums in the UK.
Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor. That year they were first introduced on stage as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World". Sticky Fingers (1971), which yielded "Brown Sugar" and included the first usage of their tongue and lips logo, was their first of eight consecutive number-one studio albums in the US. Exile on Main St. (1972), featuring "Tumbling Dice", and Goats Head Soup (1973), yielding the hit ballad "Angie", were also best sellers. Taylor was replaced by Ron Wood in 1974. The band continued to release successful albums, including their two largest sellers: Some Girls (1978), featuring "Miss You", and Tattoo You (1981), featuring "Start Me Up". Steel Wheels (1989) was widely considered a comeback album and was followed by Voodoo Lounge (1994), a worldwide number-one album. Both releases were promoted by large stadium and arena tours, as the Stones continued to be a huge concert attraction; by 2007 they had recorded the all-time highest-grossing concert tour three times, and as recently as 2021 they were the highest-earning live act of the year. From Wyman's departure in 1993 to Watts' death in 2021, the band continued as a four-piece core, with Darryl Jones playing bass on tour and on most studio recordings, while Steve Jordan became their touring drummer following Watts' death. Their 2016 album, Blue & Lonesome, became their twelfth UK number-one album.
The Rolling Stones' estimated record sales of 200 million make them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Billboard magazine and Rolling Stone have ranked the band as one of the greatest of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
Studio albums
The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers (1964)
12 X 5 (1964)
The Rolling Stones No. 2 / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
Out of Our Heads (1965)
December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
Aftermath (1966)
Between the Buttons (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Sticky Fingers (1971)
Exile on Main St. (1972)
Goats Head Soup (1973)
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974)
Black and Blue (1976)
Some Girls (1978)
Emotional Rescue (1980)
Tattoo You (1981)
Undercover (1983)
Dirty Work (1986)
Steel Wheels (1989)
Voodoo Lounge (1994)
Bridges to Babylon (1997)
A Bigger Bang (2005)
Blue & Lonesome (2016)
Hackney Diamonds (2023)
Mercy Mercy
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have mercy, have mercy on me
Well I went to see the gypsy
To have my fortune read
She said, "man, your baby gonna leave you
Her bags are packed up under the bed"
That's right
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
But if you leave me baby
Girl, if you put me down
I'm gonna make it to the nearest river, child
And jump overboard and drown
That's right
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
I said hey, hey, baby, hey, hey, now
What you tryin' to do? Huh
Hey, hey baby, hey, hey now
Please don't say we're through, yeah, yeah, yeah
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
But if you stay, baby
I tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna work two jobs, seven days a week
And bring my money home to you
That's right
Have mercy, please, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me, yeah
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
The Rolling Stones’ “Mercy Mercy” is a classic blues rock song that was released in 1965. This is a song about a man who is trying to save his relationship with a woman who is about to leave him. He visits a fortune teller who confirms his fear that his girlfriend is leaving but he begs her to have mercy on him and not go. In the first verse, the lyrics "Have mercy, have mercy, baby, Have mercy, have mercy on me" are pleading for her not to leave him. He then expresses how he went to see a gypsy to confirm his fears that his girlfriend is leaving him. The fortune-teller confirms that his girlfriend is packing her bags about to leave which makes him even more frantic.
In the second verse, the man threatens to commit suicide if his girlfriend leaves him. He says that if she puts him down, he will make it to the nearest river, jump overboard and drown. He begs for mercy in the refrain, emphasizing his fear of being abandoned by his partner. In the third verse, the man implores for his girlfriend to stay and promises to work hard to maintain their relationship.
“Mercy Mercy” is typical of The Rolling Stones' music, especially for the period from 1964 to the late 1960s. The song features raunchy guitars, driving beats, and raw Mick Jagger's vocals. This song was not included in an album in its release but later added as a bonus track to the 2002 CD release of the band's album "Out of Our Heads."
Line by Line Meaning
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Asking for forgiveness and leniency from the lover
Have mercy, have mercy on me
Expressing remorse and asking for mercy from the lover
Well I went to see the gypsy
Narrating a story of going to a fortune teller
To have my fortune read
Reason for visiting the fortune teller
She said, 'man, your baby gonna leave you
Fortune teller's prediction of the lover leaving
Her bags are packed up under the bed'
Evidence of the lover preparing to leave
But if you leave me baby
Contemplating the possibility of the lover leaving
Girl, if you put me down
Imagining the lover breaking up with the artist
I'm gonna make it to the nearest river, child
Planning to commit suicide if the lover leaves
And jump overboard and drown
Method of suicide if the lover leaves
I said hey, hey, baby, hey, hey, now
Trying to get the lover's attention with a catchy phrase
What you tryin' to do? Huh
Questioning the lover's intentions
Please don't say we're through, yeah, yeah, yeah
Begging the lover not to end the relationship
But if you stay, baby
Exploring the positive outcome if the lover stays
I tell you what I'm gonna do
Announcing a plan to show commitment
I'm gonna work two jobs, seven days a week
Demonstrating dedication and sacrifice
And bring my money home to you
Offering financial support and stability
Have mercy, please, have mercy, baby
Repeatedly asking for forgiveness and mercy
Have mercy, have mercy on me, yeah
Reinforcing the plea for mercy and forgiveness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Don Covay, Ronald Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Halder
on 2000 Light Years From Home
Totally underrated track and album..